So I know that the combustion moves the pistons which turns the crank shaft and sends power to the wheels via the drive train (is that right?). But when the wheels aren’t moving, such as when the car is in drive but stationary, where is all that power going? The engine is still running, and the crank shaft is still turning, so somewhere along the line some parts must be slipping, or not turning when they normally would, right?
Basically I’m a little confused as to how the mechanical rotation of the engine is translated into “power” or applying pressure to rotate the wheels.
In: Engineering
That is where a clutch comes into play.
When you are idle the flywheel disengages from the clutch plate and stops the engine from transferring power to the drive train. When you start moving again, the clutch and flywheel press together and power is transferred back to the drive train.
There is some slippage there. That is how a clutch gets worn out. It is rubbing against the flywheel.
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